Paper-Happy Pets

Good grief! Are they all after our toilet paper? Even a bunny gets in on the act–and you won’t belief what that green parrot is doing with the paper he’s so carefully shredding. I am soooo glad my cats don’t do this!

Share:

Like this:

LikeLoading...

Related

About leeduigon

I have lived in Metuchen, NJ, all my life. I have been married to my wife Patricia since 1977. I am a former newspaper editor and reporter. I was also the owner-operator of my own small business for several years. I wrote various novels and short stories published during 1980s and 1990s. I am a long-time student of judo and Japanese swordsmanship (kenjutsu). I also play chess, basketball, and military and sports simulations.
View all posts by leeduigon

17 responses to “Paper-Happy Pets”

I love the pet videos. My son is going to get me two kittens in a week or so. I need to get ready! My sister-in-law tells me they will be looking for their mom, so it helps if I put a ticking clock in their bed. I guess I’m supposed to keep them in an enclosed area (kitchen-bath) until they learn to use the littler box and get familiar with food and such. This is a first for me. Tips are welcome. I am very excited.

OK, here are some tips. 1. Let the kittens sleep in your bed with you. (It doesn’t take them long to learn the use of the litter box, but you can read up on that elsewhere.) Anyway, you be their mom. 2. Let them explore freely–while you’re watching. Your home needs to be their home. 3. Feed them the same thing, same amount, but in two different plates. 4. Remember that kittens have a tremendous amount of energy, lots of curiosity, and don’t speak English till much later on. 5. Keep your toilet paper out of reach.

I agree, let them sleep with you–if they will sleep! At first they will most likely tear around the room getting into trouble once the lights go out. 🙂 They will eventually get with the program. Cats are great snugglers.

I do have a litter box suggestion. Check out the Tidy Cats Breeze litter system. It has pellets in the box and a pull out tray with a throw away pad where all the urine collects. I have 3 cats and this has saved my sanity. No litter scattered everywhere, no clumping mess stuck to the box, and NO SMELL! No hauling heavy litter from the store either. Been using this for years and love it. I will never go back. You can get a coupon for it on the Tidy Cats website. You’ll get more coupons in the box itself to use for a second one. There should be more than one litter box if you have multiple cats. Good luck with your kittens! They are so much fun 🙂

The bird adding paper strips to its plumage was an amazing sight to see.

New Kitten Advice: The expression “cool cats” is misleading, cats are anything but cool. They may have moments of aloofness, but they are animals of passion and emotion. They love attention, although they seem to prefer it in small doses. I would agree with Lee; let them sleep on the bed. In most cases, they will prefer to sleep elsewhere in warm weather, but just knowing that they are welcome on your bed will only help matters.

Cats use litter boxes instinctively, so litter training is usually a very simple matter. I’ve had cats for most of the last 55 years and other than making certain that they know where the box is, and keeping it clean, I’ve never had to devote so much as one bit of effort to litter training. I use a dust free, clumping litter (Arm & Hammer Lightweight) and it makes life easier for everyone. It’s good at controlling odors which I both to my liking, and that of my cat.

I would advise high-quality food, such as A Taste Of The Wild, which comes highly recommended as a way to give a cat a healthy diet.

Cats like toys, especially small toys that they can carry easily. They do seem to enjoy toys that look like small animals. Two kittens will probably sleep together, which is fine for everyone. They will wrestle and play together.

Not all that long ago, I bought a beautiful kitten to replace a beloved cat that I lost to cancer. The kitten was literally taken from her litter at 10 weeks of age, and placed in my hands. Within 20 minutes, she figured out that I was her new family and she never seemed to look for her mother or siblings. From day one, hour one, she knew that I was her human and seemed to understand completely how the arrangement worked. I’ve had her for seven + months now, and she’s a happy pet, and I’m happy to have her.

Probably the most important thing I can suggest is to follow your instincts to love these adorable creatures. Cats are wonderful companions and, although they can be a handful, at times, they are truly heartwarming creatures and you will come to love them dearly. If you love them, they will know it and will reflect much of that love.

A lot of cats like those, but some aren’t interested. You want to give them something to scratch besides your upholstery. My cats are content with a cardboard scratching pad, but I have had cats who were murder on the cushions. We used to have climbing structures, but the cats lost interest in those. Who knows why? You could spend a lifetime trying to figure out your cats, and then they’ll still surprise you.

Then you buy them an expensive toy and the thing they’re interested in is the paper bag it came in.

I think it’s safe to say that they are unpredictable. Yesterday’s treasure can be today’s trash, and vice versa. They may play with a toy for a while, lose interest in it, then decide its the greatest thing since sliced bread a month or two later.

Unknowable, you recommended A Taste of the Wild for the kittens. Is that dry or wet? Is there a special formula for kittens? What about treats?
You can see by my questions how green I am.
Sure do appreciate words from the wise and experienced.
Inputs from anyone else are welcome!

A Taste of the Wild is dry, but it’s not cereal based. There are dried meats and some vegetables. It’s appropriate for all ages and very similar to the food the breeder used, just a different brand, but the same ingredients.